Many people with small boats, particularly collapsible boats, transport their boats and the outboard motor within the vehicle. The user may merely load the outboard motor and gas tank into the trunk of the automobile or place them on the floor inside a camper. This can cause hazardous conditions when unpleasant smelling gasoline fumes accumulate. In addition, there is a risk of damage to the motor or spills from the gasoline tank during motion of the motor vehicle, particularly during sudden starts and stops if the motor and gasoline tank are not properly secured. A further hazard is that any water that may be left inside the drive housing of the motor may flow into the working parts of the motor, such as the carburetor or cylinder, which may require that the motor be disassembled prior to the next use.
There have been a number of outboard motor carriers for motor vehicles proposed for carrying the outboard motor on the exterior of the motor vehicle. Examples of such carriers are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,381,069, 4,136,803, 5,509,592, 4,625,900 and Design Pat. Nos. 322,423 and 363,695. Most of these carriers are designed to be attached to a trailer hitch with the exception of U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,900, which is attachable to a spare tire carrier or bumper of a motor vehicle. All of the patents describe carriers having a rigid metal support arm attached to the trailer hitch at one end and having a flat plate, preferably covered with flat wooden sheets to serve like a transom of a boat for attaching the clamps of an outboard motor. The designs all enable the outboard motor to be transported safely and securely at the exterior of a motor vehicle. While all of these carriers provide for a secure means for transporting the outboard motor, none of the carriers deal with the problems associated with the transport of the gasoline tank within the automobile.